The Battle Within
by Drake's Revenge
Summary: When Rogue is troubled with her powers will the X Men turn her down because of her actions or will they try to to change her back into what she once was.
1. Default Chapter

The rain pounded against the window like bullets as the night grew longer. But the sound was drained out by the noises of the battle. The battle raged on…  
  
Horrible…  
  
Brutal…  
  
Harsh…  
  
"Rogue, Rogue!? You dozed off again, you alright?"  
  
Rogue sat up in her bed. She had indeed dozed off, and she was indeed not alright.  
  
" Yeah, yeah I'm alright, I just need a moment… I, I could use a drink, if ya don't mind. Thanks Kitty."  
  
Shadowcat stood from her position on the floor and walked out of the room. Rogue picked up a large text book which was turned over by the foot of the bed. She flipped through it, sighed, and closed the book. She laid against the headpiece of the bed and closed her eyes.  
  
Awhile later Shadowcat re-entered the room with a glass of water in her hand and Storm by her side. She walked over to the side of Rogue's bed and handed the glass to her. Rogue nodded her head in a thankful gesture and turned to Storm.  
  
Storm watched as Rogue downed the water. "Rogue is something wrong?"  
  
Rogue waited a short time before answering. "No, nothin's wrong. I'm just a little tired, I'll be alright… promise." Rogue waited for Storm to leave the room before taking another sip of water. Then gently placed the cup on the nightstand.  
  
Shadowcat sat once more on the carpeted bedroom floor. She looked back at Rogue who buried her face in her hands. "Rogue what are you keeping from us?"  
  
Rogue's hands started shaking and veins grew visible in her forehead. Her whole body started trembling.  
  
"Rogue? You cryin'?" Shadowcat walked over to the bed and placed her hand on Rogue's back. Rogue lunged at Shadowcat knocking her to the ground and had her hands around Shadowcat's neck in a matter of seconds. Both girls screamed on the floor, sweat dripping down each face. 


	2. Faces

Storm ran towards the room were the fight was being held, it wasn't much of a fight since Shadowcat couldn't really retaliate much, though. Storm led three other mutants, Cyclops, Jean Grey, and Beast to the room. Storm reached the room first followed by Beast, who ran immediately to Rogue and grabbed her waist. He pulled as hard as possible but, made no progress in getting Rogue away from Shadowcat. Jean Grey used her mental powers to try and override Rogue's actions, but failed again.  
  
"Why can't Kitty just phase through Rogue and get outta there!?" Cyclops yelled, as he reached for his glasses.  
  
"Rogue doesn't have her gloves on, therefore Shadowcat can't concentrate enough to use her ability!" Storm screamed back across the room.  
  
Just then, Cyclops tore his glasses away from his face, and shot a small blast at Rogue's side. She fell off of Shadowcat who laid on the floor nearly unconscious. Jean Grey used her power again to hold Rogue to the floor.  
  
They brought Rogue and Shadowcat back to the infirmary immediately. Rogue was locked down onto a rather uncomfortable bed. Shadowcat was brought to a similar bed, but, not chained down. Jean worked rapidly on both of them as Cyclops watched.  
  
"Hey, Jean you used your powers to get in ta Rogue's head… you should be able to tell us what's wrong, right?" Cyclops thought it sounded pretty sensible.  
  
She waited awhile before responding. "No, all I saw was darkness and some sort of explosion, then, then, faces. A lot of faces."  
  
"Anyone we know?"  
  
"No, just faces." 


	3. Missing Man

The following morning brought bad news to the X-Men mansion. No, not bad, worse. Shadowcat's health hadn't improved one bit. She still laid motionless in the infirmary. Unfortunately, Rogue's health didn't improve either, but, she wasn't laying motionless in the infirmary. She was nowhere to be found.  
  
"What the hell? Where is she?" Gambit asked as he entered the infirmary to check up on Rogue. "She's gone!?" He barked half asking, half stating.  
  
"Good observation." Wolverine said with his usual, cold attitude.  
  
"Wolvie, this is no time to be making jokes! We have a lost member here and she's dangerous, not only to us but to the citizens. !" Cyclops said stepping forward. Wolverine also moved in but was stopped by Jean Grey.  
  
"She touched Shadowcat without her gloves long enough to gain her power, and Rogue used it to phase through our metal chains." Jean stated as she walked over to the bed Rogue was supposed to be in. "Look, the chains are locked up just as we left them."  
  
The room fell silent until, finally, Gambit left. Small conversations started amongst the other mutants in the room. "What if she gets into the city?" And, "Who is she for, us or Magneto?"  
  
Gambit walked around the outer grounds that belonged to the manor. Thoughts flew around in his head like darts. He walked for about two hours, before noticing he already made six circles around the school. He started heading back to the manor, but was still deep in thought.  
  
Suddenly, a figure leapt out of a near by tree. He turned automatically and readied his staff. But, he saw no one. He continued to walked again, until something brushed past him. No not past him, through him. He turned to see Rogue standing in front of him. She lounged at him again with her fists out in front of her body. She began to phase through him again and he stood still in his fighting stance. Then, it stopped, she stopped her phasing process in the middle of it all. Gambit screamed in pain and fell helplessly to the ground.  
  
Beast followed Quicksilver out and eventually caught up to Gambit and Rogue. Beast's eyes open wider then they ever had before this. Rogue, finally phased completely through Gambit and she too fell to the rough dirt. Both mutants laid lifeless on the ground.   
  
Beast carried Rogue and Quicksilver ran Gambit in. They were both placed back in the infirmary, and Rogue was under heavy guard. Two people at the least, watched Rogue at all times. 


	4. The Doctor

"It seems impossible for either one to live." Jean Grey said quietly.  
  
"It all seems impossible, Jean." Replied Cyclops. "Them being joined together, for even just a few seconds is just wild."   
  
"Rogue might be able to over come it with all her strength and all Shadowcat's strength. But, Gambit…" Beast commented in a whisper.  
  
"Rogue obviously can't control her new power." Jean added  
  
The three of them stood watching Rogue's body in the dim lighted room. It had been a quiet evening, and the manor seemed peaceful. The infirmary was silent, yet a heart-breaking scene.  
  
The next morning brought some rain showers and a bustle of activity. Everyone had to get ready for a very important arrival. Jean couldn't perform all the operations needed to help Gambit, the most she could do now was keep him on the edge of life. So, the Professor took it upon himself to call a better doctor, and a mutant himself. He called on an old time friend, Dr. Edward Lawrence.  
  
It was about seven o'clock when the doctor arrived. He walked with a cane which didn't seem to help his limp at all. He was hurried into the infirmary and introduced to Jean.  
  
"These two were joined together, for about twelve seconds." Jean said standing in front of Rogue and Gambit.  
  
"Joined together, what do you mean when you say that?" The doctor said raising an eyebrow.  
  
"Well, by an ability accident, she entered his stomach and was stuck for about twelve seconds, like I said. But, Rogue here has a better chance of surviving because she was using someone else's strength as well as her own."  
  
The doctor rested his cane on the side of Gambit's bed and opened a small bag on his lap. Jean stood beside the doctor and watched over his shoulder. Wolverine also peeked inside the bag from a distance, but neither of them saw anything in the doctor's bag.   
  
Wolverine grinned as he walked to the door "Hey doc, forget somethin'."  
  
Dr. Lawrence ignored Wolverine's comment and reached into his empty bag. As his hand came back from the pouch it revealed a purplish energy ball. Wolverine lost any smirk he had, and looked back over his shoulder. The doctor took the ball and smeared it over Gambit's wounds. Then, he sat and waited. 


	5. Juldar

*Auther Notes* Sorry about the short chap. But it's really important.  
  
"Alright, that should do. He will be very hungry, but make sure he doesn't get anything to eat for another twenty-four hours. And who else do we have over here?"  
  
Jean directed the doctor to Rogue's bed.  
  
"Now this will be a challenge. Would you mind if I came back around five tomorrow?" the doctor had a bit of a nonchalant attitude over the whole thing  
  
"No offense Doctor, but she could be on a life and death circumstance here and to wait another day seems to be the worse thing possible." Jean was finally stopped by Professor X.  
  
"Let him, Jean, he knows what he's doing."  
  
A small grin grew on the doctor's face. "Thank you X, I'll see you tomorrow." He tipped his hat and left the room.  
  
"What!? Your letting him leave? Rogue could die here, but you letting him leave! Great!" Jean went wild over the whole idea.  
  
"All he has to do is visit his home, otherwise known as Juldar, and he will be back."  
  
"Wait, Juldar?" Jean suddenly seemed interested, "that's the mind-energy-planet-place, right?"  
  
Professor X raised an eyebrow and smiled at Jean, she smiled back. 


	6. Passport With Power

The next day Jean released Shadowcat from the infirmary. She was still weak so she stayed in her room a lot.  
  
Five o'clock came and the doctor wasn't at the mansion yet. Jean sat watching Rogue and waited by the phone, for any call from Dr. Lawrence.  
  
"That's not like Edward," Professor X said to Jean when he walked in. Jean didn't reply, so the Professor went on, "I've known him for many years now, and this is very rare for him."  
  
"Tell me more about Juldar." Jean said calmly.  
  
"Of course. Juldar is a distant planet that can only be reached by those who were born there, including Edward. He can reach it through the energy he carries around in his bag."  
  
Jean seemed very interested in the topic of another planet. "So, why can't Dr. Lawrence take out some energy from his bag put it in, say a briefcase, then give it to someone else? So then they could reach the planet. Or can he?"  
  
"First of all the item must be made on Juldar, and only people from Juldar may use it. It's like a passport, with powers."  
  
"And he choose healing powers?" Jean asked turning back to Rogue's still body.  
  
"He didn't choose the power of healing. He was given the power of healing. You see, at a certain age a Juldaran child is brought to the Corx, another realm within Juldar. There they meet with the people's king called the Iniox, currently I believe it is… Dorgase the Iniox of the twenty-third ruling."  
  
"Wait, you said people's king, what's that?" Jean's interest was growing fast.  
  
"The people's king is like a secondary king that the people are allowed to see. The real king is never shown to the citizens because he is nothing but energy. There is questions of his health also, since anything about him is top secret, the people wonder if he is still alive, or if he ever was alive." The professor would have gone on, since his knowledge of Juldar was so great, but he was cut of by someone in a futuristic looking armor. The man in the armor ran into the infirmary and headed towards Professor X. He was holding a small note in one hand and a large gun (also futuristic looking) in the other.  
  
"I have news from Easdan, or Edward as you know him." He said Edward like Eedword. 


	7. Beastly Buddy

The letter was torn around the edges and burnt in some places, making it look older than it was. Professor X opened it carefully making sure not to rip it any more than it was. He read aloud,  
  
  
  
X,  
  
Juldar is currently under attack and I doubt I'll make it there today if I ever do make it. Our king has been overthrown and all the people's hard work has gone to waist. Tell Mrs. Grey that she will make it far in the medical field. Sorry about whatever may happen to Rogue. I hope you got this letter in time.  
  
From,  
  
Edw   
  
There was a blood stain covering the rest of the name, but it was no mystery who it was who wrote the letter. Professor X was silent as he folded the letter up again, this time tearing of an edge.   
  
The messenger left without saying anything and Jean walked back over to Rogue's bed. She placed her hand on the motionless mutant's head. Jean stared into Rogue's face, hard. "I guess there is no help for her now." She didn't really address what she said, she just said it. But she did get a reply.  
  
"No, actually I think there is." Beast walked over to Jean and handed her a small vile of a milky colored liquid. "I conjured that up over night." He said proudly.  
  
"Did you test on anything, I mean how do we know it works?" Jean asked  
  
"Hey, it's that or nothing. I'd let her drink it if I were you."  
  
Jean agreed and slowly poured it down her throat. There was no reaction to the liquid, good or bad.  
  
"How can we tell if it did anything?"  
  
Beast walked over to a large computer on the other side of the room. "Plug it up." He yelled back to Jean.  
  
Jean understood immediately and she started matching wire colors with the side of Rogue's bed.  
  
"Ready?"  
  
Ready!"  
  
Beast slammed a lever down followed by three other levers up then pressed in a quick code.  
  
"All we needed was the correct amount of electicity to artificially get her body pumping again."  
  
Rogue started shaking, then twitching, then her body started to glow.  
  
"She's changing!" Screamed Jean.  
  
Beast remember the process from somewhere. Somewhere very familiar. Ah, it came to him. It was himself, he went through this, this pain. She was becoming what he was.  
  
"NOOOOOOOO!" He felt the pain, again. 


	8. A Clue

Jean threw herself to the ground to get out of the way. Luckily, Professor X got out of the room before this. Beast grabbed his head with his hands and feel on his knees. He couldn't believe what he had done. How? What went so wrong that she would turn out like him. Thoughts rushed through his head until… darkness came.  
  
Rogue ran out of the room, throwing the door open. Jean got up and ran towards Beast.  
  
"Damn. He's out cold." She ran over to her medical shelf on the side of the room and pulled out four needles. She filled each one with a strange mixture of chemicals which would hopefully, get Rogue to a strength level the X-men could handle. She ran out of the room following the wet footsteps from the chemicals that dripped of Rogue's body.  
  
When Jean finally reached Rogue, she used her powers to control the needles. She attack with two at a time. Her first strike was an uppercut with one and a left hook with the other . Rogue simply jumped up and performed a perfect back-flip, to get out of the way. Jean's next attack was with the other two she slammed them both down into what would have been Rogue's shoulders. But, again she swung through the air, except this time her needles hit the hard tiled floor and shatter sending glass and chemicals everywhere. Jean lost her concentration and the other two needless fell to the ground, also shattering.  
  
Jean flew over Rogue's head and attempted to fly away to retrieve backup. But, her attempt failed when Rogue grabbed her feet and threw Jean into the ceiling, creating a crater type whole in the roof. Jean slammed back into the ground behind Rogue and laid there unconscious.  
  
Rogue continued running down the hall until she rounded a corner and bumped into Wolverine.  
  
"Watch it b- Rogue!? What in the hell? Wow, the stuff plastic surgeons do today is unbelievable huh?" He beared his claws and crouched slightly.  
  
Rogue charged first, but Wolverine jumped on her back and got a pretty good slice across her the nape of her neck. She screamed and fell to the floor. Wolverine jumped off in a front flip, landed, and shot his claws back in. He walked over picked her up and brought her back to the infirmary.   
  
Once he reached the infirmary he took a look around, turned back and left. There seemed to be no place for any injured mutants anymore, especially Rogue. 


	9. A Man's Past

Professor X watched over Rogue now, and she was locked in a prison type cell. It didn't seem like the nicest thing to do, but it was definitely the safest. Jean was also being watched over by the Professor until she was better. She threw questions at him, again about Juldar, although this time Wolverine sat in on it to.  
  
"If there's a war on Juldar now, who are they fighting?" Jean asked the Professor.  
  
"I'm not certain who they are fighting, but it doesn't sound good. The whole empire is being overthrown, and the Juldaran's army was never there strong point."  
  
"Hey, you seem to know a lot about this Juldar place. But you weren't born there, you have no items from there, and you've never been there." Wolverine was certainly nagging, and not doing a bad job at it either. The only problem was when you bring up a man's past, your looking for trouble.  
  
Professor X spoke quietly, "You were always the defiant, daring type Logan. But this time you've stepped over the line. It's not are business if there's a war going on in Juldar, it's our business with what's going on with Rogue. So both of you keep quiet from now on, got it?" The Professor was acting extremely strange with his response, neither X-man ever saw him act like that.  
  
"Hell." Wolverine muttered under his breath as he and Jean walked out of the room.  
  
The conversation was brought up again as the two mutants walked down the halls. "Wow, you brought up his past and he went wild on ya, that ain't like him." Jean said.  
  
"I know, but I'm gonna find out what's goin' on, what went on, and what will go on." Wolverine opened his room door and led Jean in. He pulled up a chair and she sat on the bed.  
  
"That man's strange, but he'll crack." Wolverine continued.  
  
"I don't know, he's a psychic remember." Jean replied shaking her head.  
  
Wolverine swung the chair back into its original spot, stood up, and stretched. He walked over to where Jean was sitting while checking his watch.   
  
"Six o'clock, we got some time ta kill." He placed his hands on either side of Jean on the bed and leaned toward her. She leaned back until she was lying on her back with Logan over her. Just then the door swung open and Cyclops appeared.  
  
"Friggin' lock!" Wolverine said as he pushed back off of Jean.  
  
"What the heck? Jean, I've been lookin' all over for you!" Cyclops roared.  
  
"How the hell do you get that timing down, Red. I just can't beat it" Wolverine ignored Cyclops's question.  
  
"You, get out!" Cyclops said pointing to Wolverine.  
  
"Jesus, kick a man out of his own room." Wolverine said as he approached the door. "Damn you." He whispered as he came past Cyclops. Then, he walked out and slammed the door behind him. 


End file.
